Validating converters and troubleshooting errors

Muhimbi's PDF Converters contain a useful Validate Converters facility. When carrying out a validation the system passes a very basic file through each converter to see if it converts without errors. This facility is available from the following places:

The WS Diagnose tab in the Diagnostics tool available from the Windows Start Menu.

The most common problems and solutions for errors during a validation are as follows:

When using Office 2007 on the conversion servers you must install at least Office 2007 SP2.

If you wish to convert Office file formats such as MS-Word, Excel or InfoPath then you must install the prerequisites. For details see the Administration Guide, Appendix - Installing converter dependencies.

The default printer has not been set to the local (non-redirected) XPS Document writer. (As of version 8.0 this process is automated)

When using Office on the Conversion Server then you must make sure it is not a trial version and it is fully activated. Check this by logging in to the Windows Desktop of the machine running the Conversion Service using the account the Conversion Service is running under. Once logged in launch each Office application, make sure it opens without errors, warnings, or pop-up messages and close the application again.

When installing the PDF Converter, always follow the instructions in Chapter 2 of the Administration Guide and follow all links to appendices. Installation is fairly straight forward, but you have to make sure you get the steps right.